Cbs Spotlights ‘Uncommon Heroes’

Hector Elizondo (“Chicago Hope”) hosts and narrates “Uncommon Heroes” (CBS at 8), a collection of stories about ordinary people who take extraordinary risks to save the lives of others.

“Uncommon Heroes” is from “Rescue 911” Executive Producer Arnold Shapiro, and it shows. By that I mean that the four stories are re-created by actors - not the best actors on the planet - with most of the storytelling done by the people involved.

They are sentimental, uplifting tales that represent the “good news” that so many people say is missing from television news.

You’ll meet a Boston firefighter who decides on the spur of the moment to join the search for a missing autistic child lost on a New Hampshire mountain for three days. While other rescuers called it quits for the night, he kept on searching and found the boy.

A California dam tender sees a young boy caught in the fierce currents leading into the base of his open dam. Although he thought it was hopeless, he jumped in a boat, found the boy clinging to a floodgate and rescued him.

Also, a Washington, D.C., minister receives a heart from a member of his congregation, and a trucker returns to work after surviving an explosion and saves two people he encounters in separate accidents.

It’s a positive, inspiring hour that shows, despite what television too often implies, we live in a world filled with brave and decent people.

Highlights

“Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires in Silicon Valley,” KSPS at 7: This three-hour-long broadcast returns to the early days of personal computers. Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Paul Allen and Apple founder Steven Jobs discuss their nerdy pasts.

They can laugh now. They’re zillionaires.

“Picket Fences,” CBS at 9: Wambaugh (Fyvush Finkel) suspects his estranged wife Myriam’s new boyfriend (Efram Zimbalist Jr.) isn’t the man he says he is.

“Basketball,” NBC at 6: Seattle hosts Chicago in Game 4 of the NBA finals.

“Party of Five,” FOX at 9: Bailey (Scott Wolf) gets the third degree from Kate’s dad (Geoff Pierson). Julia’s (Neve Campbell) old boyfriend (Johnny Whitworth) moves in to escape his abusive stepfather. Repeat.

“CPW,” CBS at 10: Rush (Ron Leibman) uses compromising photos to persuade Dianna (Raquel Welch) to stay in New York and thwart her ex-husband’s (Gerald McRaney) affair with Linda (Lauren Hutton). Like, we’re supposed to care.

“PrimeTime Live,” ABC at 10: Singer-songwriter Lionel Richie discusses his mental ups and downs and how he overcame a 10-year “creative block.”

Cable Calls

“The First Power” (1990), TBS at 5:05: Lou Diamond Phillips is a Los Angeles cop pitted against the ghost of an executed criminal (Jeff Kober).

This movie received brief attention for its excessive, gross violence, the worst of which will be edited by TBS. Nobody ever called it a classic, but Phillips is always interesting to watch.

“A Weekend in the Country” (1996), USA at 9: Jack Lemmon, Richard Lewis, Christine Lahti, Dudley Moore, Rita Rudner and Faith Ford star in this comedy set in a Southern California inn. It’s a romantic romp that sounds like either “The Four Seasons” (1981) or “California Suite” (1978). Unavailable for review.

“Go Fish” (1994), MAX at 11: This one-of-a-kind film directed by Rose Troche concerns a circle of lesbian friends who spend a lot of time discussing sexuality, dating, romance and their bodies. There’s a love story here - a simple, innocent one - yet the movie often seems more like a documentary.

Talk Time

“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: To be announced.

“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actress-model Liv Tyler.

“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Dennis Franz (“NYPD Blue”).